Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa

South Africa: Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by was 0.3893 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.3893
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
16th
of 61 countries
All-time high
0.5208
in 2003
All-time low
0.3387
in 2017
Years of data
15
2000–2020

Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.20.40.62000201020202000: 0.4822001: 0.4912003: 0.5212008: 0.4382009: 0.4442010: 0.4552012: 0.4642013: 0.4362014: 0.3932015: 0.4022016: 0.392017: 0.3392018: 0.3952019: 0.3872020: 0.389

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa is 0.3893, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa peaked at 0.5208 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.3387, in 2017.

That places South Africa 16th out of 61 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by occupational group: Technicians in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.4821
2001 0.4912 +1.9%
2003 0.5208 +6.0%
2008 0.438 -15.9%
2009 0.4435 +1.3%
2010 0.4551 +2.6%
2012 0.4638 +1.9%
2013 0.4361 -6.0%
2014 0.3932 -9.8%
2015 0.4023 +2.3%
2016 0.3898 -3.1%
2017 0.3387 -13.1%
2018 0.3945 +16.5%
2019 0.3872 -1.9%
2020 0.3893 +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.4751 0.438 0.5208 5
2010s 0.4067 0.3387 0.4638 9
2020s 0.3893 0.3893 0.3893 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Belgium 0.4025 compare
  2. 14 Serbia 0.4002 compare
  3. 15 Ecuador 0.3947 compare
  4. 17 Finland 0.3874 compare
  5. 18 Georgia 0.3803 compare
  6. 19 Morocco 0.3798 compare

See the full ranking of 61 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa?
Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa was 0.3893 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.5208 in 2003.
What is the lowest public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3387 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 61 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by occupational group: Technicians. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-total-employment-by-occupational-group-technicians/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment, as a share of total employment, by occupational group: Technicians
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
61 places, 719 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed